Gas lift plungers are employed to facilitate the removal of gas from wells, addressing challenges incurred by “liquid loading.” In general, a well may produce both liquid and gaseous elements. When gas flow rates are high, the gas carries the liquid out of the well as the gas rises. However, as the pressure in the well decreases, the flowrate of the gas decreases to a point below which the gas fails to carry the heavier liquids to the surface. The liquids thus fall back to the bottom of the well, exerting back pressure on the formation, and thereby loading the well.
Plungers alleviate such loading by assisting in removing liquid and gas from the well, e.g., in situations where the ratio of liquid to gas is high. For example, the plunger is introduced into the top of the well. One type of plunger includes a valve that is initially in an open position. When the valve is in the open position, the plunger descends through a tubing string in the well toward the bottom of the well. Once the plunger reaches the bottom of the well, the valve is closed. A compressed gas is then introduced into the well, below the plunger. The compressed gas lifts the plunger within the tubing string, causing any liquids above the plunger to be raised to the surface.